Purification apparatus for the removal of impurities from fluids, in particular for mass spectrometer circuits



y 3, 1962 D. R. CHARLES ETAL 3,041,840

PURIFICATION APPARATUS FOR THE REMOVAL ,OF IMPURITIES FROM FLUIDS; IN PARTICULAR FOR MASS SPECTROMETER CIRCUITS Filed June 24. 1958 United States Patent Office 3,041,840 Patented July 3, 1962 3,041,840 PURIFICATION APPARATUS FOR THE REMOVAL OF IMPURITIES FROM FLUIDS, IN PARTICU- LAR FOR MASS SPECTROMETER CIRCUITS Daniel R. Charles, Sceaux, Andr Jean Velte, Suresnes, Paul Dreyfus, Antony, and Georges Pamelard,' Creteil,

France, assignors to Commissariat a IEnergie Atomique, Paris, France, a French state administration Filed June 24, 1958, Ser. No. 744,231 Claims priority application France June 25, 1957 8 Claims. (Cl. 62--40) It is advantageous and often necessary in physical or chemical plants to remove from a fluid the impurities it contains and, in particular, to remove from a-gas which is difiicult to liquefy the condensable impurities it contains. This is why a 'great number of'apparatus have been provided for this purpose.

The present invention is particularly concerned with apparatus of this kind making use, in order to condensate the impun'ties, of a fluid at very low temperature such for instance as liquid air.

; The object of the present invention is to provide improvements in such appa'ratus. h

, The purifiication apparatus according to the present inventionmay be usefully applied in various fields but it is particularly suitable when it is desired "to purify gases in the pumping circuit of a mass spectrometer.

This is due to the fact that the apparatus according to the invention, can be easily andiquickly taken to pieces andreassembl ed at anytime, said apparatus being very rugged, perfectly fluidtight and capable of resisting corrosion, i i, j p I, p i

. A purification apparatus according to the invention is characterized by the fact that it comprises a supporting block," a (:up-shapedves'sel having a tubular downward extension fixedto the top of said block, said block being provided with two channels extending therethrough and opening into the upper face of th'e'blo ck, the first one on the outside of said tubular extension and theother on the inside" thereof, said channels serving respectively to the feed of soiled fluid and to the outflow of purified fluid, an annularpart; disposed around said tubular extension and applied against the top face of said block in a fluidtight fashion, an upward cylindrical casingaassembled in a fluidtight fashion with said annular member and extending around said vessel to a level above the top thereof, and a second vessel intended to receive cooling means and carried by the top of said cylindrical casing i soas to extend downwardly into said first mentioned vessel to a short'distarice 'from the inner wall thereof so as to leave between said two vessels an annular passage of small width but of a cross section suflicient for the passage of the soiled fluid.

A preferred embodiment of the present invention will be hereinafter described with reference to the accompanying drawings given merely by way of example and in which:

The left hand half portion of FIG. 1 (on the left of axis SS) is an elevational view and the right hand half portion (on the right of axis SS) is a vertical section of an apparatus according to the invention.

FIG. 2. is a vertical sectional view on an enlarged scale on the line 11-11 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 1 shows that an apparatus according to the invention is advantageously made of two units, to wit:

A fixed unit F including a block 21 provided with a central vertical cylindrical recess 22 and twochannels 23 and 24, channel 23 being a feed channel opening on the outside of recess 22 and channel 24 being an outflow channel starting from said recess 22, a cup-shaped vessel 26 being mounted on said block, to which it is connected 12:; a downward tubular extension 25 fitting in said recess A removable unit M including an annular base 27 in which is fitted a cylindrical casing 28 (welded in said base piece 27), the top end 29 of said casing 28 carrying an open vessel 30 intended to receive a cooling fluid such as liquid air L; the bottom 39,, of this vessel 30 extends into cup-shaped .vessel 26 so. as to leave between vessel 26, and said bottom 3G,, a narrow annular passage 31 having however a sufficient cross sec-tion to permit the flow of fluid from the outside space33 (between vessel 26 and cylindrical casing 28) to the inside 32 of tubular extension 25. i h I w r In the preferred embodiment of FIGS. 1 and 2 the removable unit M is secured to the fixed unit F in the following manner. A I 1 r Block 21 carries, fixed thereon by pins 34 and screws 35, two members 36 on which arms 38 are pivoted about spindle 37. Each of said arms 38 is connected with a lever 39' the end portion 40 of which is pivotally mounted on a spindle 41.

On FIG. lg'tii lever 39 011 the left hand side is in closing position whereas the other lever, on the right hand side, isin opening position, "the flat under surface 27 of part 27 having been shown at a small distance from the flat top face 21,, of block 21 for the sake of la ty- 1. A toroidal packing ring immatures in a groove 43 provided in the top face 21 of block 21 ensures perfect fluidtightness between the inside of part 27 and the outside. i

Elements 27 28 and 30 are advantageously made of a substance which is a bad conductor of heat, for instance the alloy designated by the trademark Monel (70%" of nickel and 30% of copper) whereas block 21 is made of a substance which is a good conductor of heat, such as copper.

Of course, channels 23 and 24 are controlled by means of valves not shown on FIG. 1.

The operation of the apparatus of FIG. 1 is as follows:

First, a cooling fluid such as liquid air L is poured into vessel 30, at least up to the level NN corresponding to the upper edge of vessel 26.

The gas P to be purified, which is fed through channel 23, passes successively through space 44, space 33, annular passage 31 and space 32 and flows out through channel 24, the path of travel of this gas being shown by arrows. This gas is thus compelled to flow along the cool wall of vessel 30, on which the impurities deposit. The purified gas flows out at P.

The apparatus according to the invention is perfectly fluidtight. Furthermore, due to the use of Monel alloy, the apparatus has a good resistance to corrosion. The cooling action of liquid air is efficiently utilized. Furthermore, the Monel surfaces may have a very good finish and they are sufiiciently strong to prevent any risk of breaking of the apparatus.

Another important advantage of the present apparatus is that it can easily be taken to pieces and cleaned at any time. In order to take the apparatus to pieces, it suffices to separate annular part 27 from block 21 by operating levers 39.

It should be noted that all the elements of the apparatus of FIG. 1 are advantageously connected together by metallic joints or couplings which can be removed and heated in ovens, all the elements being made of materials which have a good resistance to corrosion.

In'a general manner, while we have, in the above description, disclosed what we deem to be a practical and eflicient embodiment of our invention, it should be well understood that we do not wish to be limited thereto as there might be changes made in the arrangement, disposition and form of the parts without departing from the principle of the present invention as comprehended within the scope of the accompanying claims.

What we claim is:

l. A purification apparatus for removing impurities from a soiled fluid which comprises, in combination, a supporting block, a cup shaped vessel above said block having a tubular downward extension engaging said block with a tight fit, said downward extension being open, said block being provided with an input channel extending therethrough and opening into the upper face of said block on the Outside of said tubular extension, said input channel serving to feed soiled fluid to the apparatus, single outlet means serving to convey the outflow of purified fiuid, said outlet means traversing said block and opening into said tubular extension, an annular part surrounding said tubular extension and applied with a fluidtight fit on the upper face of said block, an upward cylindrical casing assembled in a fluidtight fashion with said annular part and extending around said vessel to a level higher than the top thereof, a second vessel open at the top and fixed at its periphery to the top of said casing .in a fluidtight manner, and cooling means located in said second vessel, said second vessel extending into the first one so as to be located at a short distance from the inner Wall thereof from a soiled fluid which comprises, in combination, a

supporting block provided at the top thereof with a vertical cylindrical recess, a cup shaped vessel having a tubular downward extension fitted in said recess, said downward extension being open, said block being provided with an input channel extending therethrough and opening into the upper face of said block on the outside of said recess, said input channel serving to feed soiled fluid to the apparatus, said block being further provided with an output channel extending therethrough and opening into said recess, said output channel serving to convey the outflow of purified fluid, an annular part surrounding said recess and applied with a fluidtight fit on the upper face of said block at the periphery thereof, an upward cylindrical casing assembled in a fluidtight fashion with said annular part and extending around said vessel to. a level higher than the top thereof, said cylindrical casing having the external surface of the Wall thereof in direct contact with free atmosphere, at second vessel opened at the top and fixed at its periphery to the top of said casing in a fluidtight manner, and cooling means located in said second vessel, said second vessel extending into the first one so as to be located at a short distance from the inner wall thereof and thus to leave between said inner wall and said second vessel an annular free passage of small width but of a cross section suflicient for the passage of the soiled fluid 3. An apparatus according to claim 2, realized in two units, to wit a fixed unit including the supporting block and the cup shaped vessel and a removable unit including sm'd annular part, said cylindrical casing and the second mentioned vessel, said fluidtight fit being provided between said two units, and further including means for securing said annular part to said block.

4. A purification apparatus for removing impurities from a soiled fluid which comprises, in combintion, a fixed unit including a supporting block provided at the top thereof with a vertical cylindrical recess, and a cup shaped vessel having a tubular downward extension fitted in said recess, said downward extension being open, said block being provided with an input channel extending therethrough and opening into the upper face of said block on the outside of said recess, said input channel serving to feed soiled fluid to the apparatus, said block being further provided with an output channel extending therethrough and opening into said recess, said output channel serving to convey the outflow of purified fluid, a removable unit including an annular part surrounding said recess and applied with a fluidtight fit on the upper face of said block at the periphery thereof, an upward cylindrical casing assembled in a fluidtight fashion with said annular part and extending around said vessel to a level higher than the top thereof, said cylindrical casing having the external surface of the wall thereof in direct contact with free atmosphere, a second vessel opened at the top to free atmosphere and fixed at its periphery to the top of said casing in a fluidtight manner and a mass of liquid air located in said second vessel, said second vessel extending into the first one so as to be located at a short distance from the inner Wall thereof and thus to leave between said inner wall and said second vessel an annular free passage of small width but of a cross section sufiicient for the passage of the soiled fluid, and means for assembling said removable unit with said fixed unit.

5. An apparatus according to claim 4, in which the top face of the supporting block is flat with the exception of said cylindrical recess and of a groove for said fluidtight joint, the under surface of said annular part being also flat.

6. A purification apparatus for removing impurities from a soiled fluid which comprises, in combination, a fixed unit including a supporting block provided at the top thereof with a vertical cylindrical recess, and a cup shaped vessel having a tubular downward extension fitted in said recess, said downward extension being open, said block being provided with an input channel extending therethrough and opening into the upper face of said block on the outside of said recess, said input channel serving to feed soiled fluid to the apparatus, single outlet means serving to convey the outflow of purified fluid, said outlet means traversing said block and opening in said tubular extension, a removable unit including an annular part surrounding said recess and applied with a fluidtight fit on the upper face of said block at the periphery thereof, an upward cylindrical casing assembled in a fluid-tight fashion with said annular part and extending around said vessel to a level higher than the top thereof, said cylindrical casing having the external surface of the wall thereof in direct contact with free atmosphere, a second vessel opened at the top to free atmosphere and fixed at its periphery to the top of said casing in a fluidtight manner and a mass of liquid air located in said second vessel, said second vessel extending into the first one so as to be located at a short distance from the inner wall thereof and thus to leave between said inner Wall and said second vessel an annular free passage of smallrwidth but of a cross section sufiicient for the passage of the soiled fluid, and arms pivoted to said supporting block for securing said annular part to said block, and levers for operating said arms.

7. An apparatus according to claim 6, in which the annular part, the cylindrical casing and the second mentioned vessel are made of a substance which is a bad conductor of heat and the supporting block is made of a material which is a good conductor of heat.

8. An apparatus according to claim 6, in which the annular part, the cylindrical casing and the second mentioned vessel are made of Monel alloy and the supporting block is made of copper.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 673,075 Douane Apr. 30, 1901 726,181 Moore Apr. 21, 1903 1,829,424 Swan Oct. 27, 1931 2,915,883 Van Der Ster Dec. 8, 1959 

